Over two weekends in March, WIN congregational leaders brought 162 people together to learn about the organization’s work and to take action on two critical campaigns: a campaign in solidarity with public employees and a campaign in solidarity with Twin Cities hospital workers.

The organizing began in January, when 20 congregational leaders gathered to organize an action designed to get more people of faith involved in WIN’s work. In February, 80 people gathered at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, learned more about these two campaigns, and committed themselves to hosting house parties and gatherings to spread the word.

The first campaign involves public employees who provide critical services to our communities. The second campaign involves ensuring quality care in Twin Cities hospitals and affordable health care coverage for hospital workers. Both campaigns provide us with an opportunity to speak out for tax fairness and investments in crucial public goods that we need to ensure that we can build healthy communities.

Governor Pawlenty is using the state’s budget deficit as an opportunity to move an agenda that reduces the size of government and stereotypes public employees. He has proposed cutting over 3000 state and local workers’ jobs  and freezing the wages of thousands more.  He also wants state workers who keep their jobs to take nearly 5 weeks of unpaid leave.

The Governor is also proposing massive cuts in health care. Thousands would lose health care coverage and hospitals would lose revenues and see increased costs. Twin Cities hospitals that include Fairview Riverside, Fairview Southdale, Childrens’ Hospitals, North Memorial, Methodist Hospital and St. Joe’s have told workers they can’t negotiate until the state budget is settled. Some of these hospitals are already asking for wage freezes in anticipation of the crisis the Governor’s budget would create for hospitals.

To ensure that state employees keep their jobs, to ensure that the vital services those employees provide remain intact, and to ensure that hospitals provide quality care and decent jobs for those who provide the care, people of faith and conscience must call on the Governor and legislative leaders to create a fair system of taxation in Minnesota based on ability to pay.

Middle income Minnesotans pay approximately 12% of their income in taxes every year according to a report released by the State Department of Commerce. The wealthiest Minnesotans pay less than 9%. Changing tax rates so that Minnesotans of Means pay their fair share would go a long way toward protecting workers and protecting our communities!

Our next step? A May 1 Action involving everyone who attended the house parties and YOU! See our post on the May Day Picnic for more details!